Still Not Found
by bella-writer
Summary: A future fic on Jack & Kate. They lost contact after being rescued and now Kate's found Jack. Flashbacks of what happened since they last saw each other. Crappy summary. Please read though! It's worth it. R&R Mild S2 Spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Still Not Found  
** Pairings/Characters: **Jack/Kate  
** Spoilers: **Random things all through season one and two, I guess.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything except this plot idea, characters & all that goodness are not mine sadly.  
**Announcement:** I wrote this a while ago and found it on my computer yesterday night before I went to sleep. I printed it off and edited it like mad. So here it is. I don't know where I'm going with this, but yeah. R&R and let me know if you want me to continue. ALSO, a big plea here: I need a BETA. I've been giving most of my chapters for my friend to read and she's fantastic, but I would love to have a BETA. Anyone interested? Please e-mail me!  
Anyways, here it is.

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The new hospital smell was becoming a bit too much for Jack. The brand new staff room was new, but hardly improved, and hardly any larger. The coffee maker didn't pour out caffeine goodness, just brown water. Jack could bet all his money that the couches were at least as old as he was, if not older. Or it just him or are the walls moving in closer and closer as he sat there flipping through a three year old Times Magazine?

"That's it," he thought to himself, "I need some air."

Despite the break room's crummy appearance, the Emergency Room's waiting room, operating rooms, offices and reception area was all new and very twenty first century.

Jack started walking through the automatic sliding doors and headed towards the park just across the street. It was a thick park, a lot of trees of all shapes and sizes surround, almost swallow up, the twisting dirt path. After two years, roughly seven hundred and thirty days of surroundings very similar to this, it is hard to go back.

And now, nearly a year and a half after the rescues, Jack still can't feel "normal". It is abnormal to not hear Charlie's guitar strums, to eat anything not picked off a tree or hunted down by John, to not wake up to the smell of ocean water, to not hear her laugh…

As crazy as it may sound, Jack missed the island and everything, everyone associated with it.

Especially Kate.

He sits down on a wooden bench and his mind hits the "replay" button just like it does everyday for the last year and a half…

_They were picking fruit, mangos, as they did every morning after they woke up._

At first it was a coincidence. Kate was walking from the beach in hunt of food and Jack was craving anything but boar. Their paths crossed and they realized they had a common goal. 

_Then it became a weekly thing. That developed to an every other day thing. And finally a daily meeting. They would meet halfway through the caves and the beach and headed deep into the jungle where the better fruit grew. _

_On this particular day, they took longer than usual walking towards the trees, picking the mangos, placing them in the backpacks, and taking breaks._

_They talked little at first, testing the waters with neutral questions but as days turned to weeks, it escalated to no-boundaries conversations._

Kate and Jack must have spent their whole morning climbing the trees in search for food. After realizing how high the sun actually was, they decided to head back. The caves were the first stop on the path, so Jack quickly walked down the path to the left that led to the caves while Kate stood a snacked on their pickings.

Jack walked down the path and saw emptiness. Nothing. No one. A few random, empty pieces of luggage, air plane plates filled with unfinished food from breakfast or lunch, and air plane seats and blankets was scattered across the cave. No people, just left behinds.

"_Kate…?" Jack called. "Kate? Come here…" His voice was filled with confusion. _

_Kate walked in behind him, carrying the beach's mangos, "What…oh my god. Where is everyone?"_

_They stood for a few seconds and then quickly turned around, running the two miles back to the beach. _

_As he was running, Jack didn't know what to think. His mind raced through millions of ideas: stupid prank, they hid in the hatch like we said to do if something bad came along, others… All were wrong though. _

_Everyone was there as they Jack and Kate stopped in the clearing. They were all dancing around, hugging each other and screaming their lungs out. Jack had a puzzled look on his face, "What the hell…" _

"_Jack…" a tiny smile was painted on her face, her gaze was set on the ocean, "look…"_

_And there it was. A huge military ship with four tiny powerboats speeding towards the shore. _

_Jack turned towards her, "Kate…" He ignored the fact that they were about to be rescued, this was more important to him. _

_She faced him too, "I'm not going to run, Jack." And she started walking off the path and onto the sandy beach. _

_He followed her, exactly two steps behind her. Finally, as they were steps behind he called out her name one more time, "Kate."_

"_All or nothing," he thought to himself._

_He took a hold of her hand and spun her around. Jack took a deep breath and kissed her._

_At first it was gentle, a "good-bye" kiss, but the longer their lips were planted together, the deeper, more loving and more passionate it became. Finally, they parted after the catcalls and laughs became hard to ignore. _

_They grinned like fools, and watched their friends – yes, friends. They weren't survivors, they were friends – celebrate. They didn't join in, just stood in a gentle, standing embrace. _

_By now the tiny speedboats arrived. A man dressed in a suit and his right hand holding onto the gun in his belt walked past the crowd and headed straight towards Kate, while other professionals checked on everyone. _

_She shot Jack a nervous look. As the others climbed onto the tiny rescue boats, Jack held onto Kate's hand as the man read her her rights. _

The energetic beep of Jack's brand new beeper (courtesy of the hospital, a welcome back gift) went off, snapping him back to reality. The hospital paged him, saying a woman needs stitches. He groaned; this is the closest thing he has to her, to the island.

Despite it all, he had to head back to the hospital, head back to his now reality. To stitch up whatever injury. To fix whatever needed to be fixed.

Back across the street and through the automatic sliding doors, Jack headed to the reception desk.

"Hey there, Rosie. You rang?"

The mid-50's women smiled, "Yes. A woman is here; she cut up her arm. From my guess, nothing big, but she insisted on checking it out. She's in room three." With that she handed Jack a folder and went back to her paper work.

_The minute the boat hit the dock and the captain stepped out, flashing light bulbs went off and news reporters' pleas for an interview began. Almost everyone ignored the noise, or just gave a quick "Yeah, I'm peachy keen" to some questions. Charlie, along with Claire and toddler Aaron, ignored them all and headed straight for the large limo Oceanic Airlines was so kind to donate. Sawyer quickly said a few quick and unpleasant words on Oceanic, but disappeared within 30 seconds. Michael put on a protective father image and led Walt to the limo. Locke and Hurley also made quick statements, though not as vulgar as Sawyers. Everyone was off the boat and waiting except for Kate and Jack and the kind officer that was to lead her off._

_"We've got to get moving, Miss." The officer informed for the fifth time._

_"Good-bye, Jack." She said quietly. And with that, in handcuffs, she was lead onto the dock and into a black hummer, where she would be put in custody._

_It was Jack's turn to walk into the spotlight. Chest out, head high, Jack walked through the flashing lights and loud, mixed voices giving a cliché statement to the thirsty reporters, "I am happy to be alive. It was a hard two years but we made it. And mom? I love you…"_

_Jack arrived home, after a cruel flight from Australia to LA, to see that his answering machine was filled with messages._

_"You have ninety-nine new messages. Message one: (beep) 'This is a message for Jack Sheppard, you have an appointment at one o'clock this coming Thursday, the eighth…'"_

_Jack turned the machine off, knowing it is pointless to be listening to two-year-old messages._

_He called his mother. Told her again what happened with her husband, his father. He tells her the basic ups and downs off the last two years. When she finally realized that it was two in the morning for Jack she lets him go and he falls into a restless sleep in his old apartment that his mother never sold while he was gone._

He gently pulled open the curtain. Jack set his speech on automatic, "Hi, I'm Dr. Jack Sheppard. What seems to…" and he stopped in the middle of his routine speech when he looked up from his file.

In the flesh, the woman he had been thinking about, dreaming about, missing for the last year and a half was sitting on the chair, smiling. She still had the same beige capris, and same green t-shirt. Her hair was still curly, still brown, just a bit shorter. Freckles were in place and the same smile was grinning. The only thing different would have to be her wearing flip-flops. He had never seen her wear flip-flops.

"Kate…" was all Jack could say.

"Hey, Jack." She's still smiling and she walks over and hugs him.

He hugs her back, tightly, unaware if this is a mirage, "What…how?" Jack still couldn't speak.

"Ssh, it's okay. Look, we'll figure that out later. Right now, I'm just so glad I finally found you." Kate said, still inches away from him. "When's your shift done?"

It took Jack a few seconds to mutter, "About four?"

"Okay. I'll be back around then." She smiled and headed out the shower curtain door.

"Wait, Kate," Jack could finally speak, "What about your cut?"

She grinned, "Oh this thing? It's fine. Not even worth looking at."

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	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Still Not Found  
**Pairings: **Jack/Kate  
**Spoilers: **Hm. Random stuff here and there and a spoiler for tomorrow night's episode "What Kate Did". I usually hate spoiling future stuff in my fics, but I couldn't help it.  
**Disclaimer: **As usual, I don't own any of this.  
**Announcement: **Reviews are love. I got some reviews for me to continue so I'm going to even though I have no idea what I'm doing with this. Please read and review it!

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Everything seemed high tech and new as Kate ran through the self-operating sliding doors. She saw the reception and put her game face on. She had spent the last two months searching for him; she wasn't going to screw this up. It's been almost a year and a half since she and the other survivors had been rescued and she hasn't seen any of them, only heard from a few friends – she assumes they're friends – in letters. But she hasn't seen anyone and she really wants to see him, it's been way too long since the beach. 

Kate always woke up with the sun, whenever she wasn't sleep in the hatch that is. When she slept on the beach, on the bumpy sand, with nothing but an airplane blanket and a blanket of stars in the sky around her, she would wake up as the sun rose, turning the sky orange, starting her day ahead of everyone else.

_She woke up on that day and did what she did every other day: brushed her teeth (with an actual toothbrush eventually thanks to the hatch), brushed hair, checked on everyone else to make sure nothing happened during the night and head down the path where Jack would meet her half way. But it was different that time. _

_She stretched after she woke up and started rummaging through her bag. Pulling on a cleaner t-shirt to replace the one week old one she was wearing, she noticed something out in the ocean. It was a big something._

Quietly she crept towards Sayid's little shack. He was still asleep, his breathing still normal. She searched for the binoculars or the hand held telescope to be out in the open. No such luck; she would have to go search deeper. His bag was near the end of his simply made bed and she pulled it gently towards her.

She dug through his clothes, feeling a smidge of guilt and disgust for doing this, and finally found a pair of small binoculars. 

_She went to the point where she was brushing her hair and looked out past the ocean water, and proved her theory. There was a boat. A gray stick like ship slowly heading towards the island slowly. She figured she had a good four hours at least to figure things out. Some how._

She was a few feet away from the reception lady. She put on a wrinkled forehead look, and clutched her arm. She had just cut herself in her car. It sounded stupid, even suicidal in a way, but she figured she would get over it eventually. She really missed him.

"Ohmygod! Ohmygod! I need stitches!" Kate threw on the ditzy act that she perfected over the years of running, "I was chopping onions! And my dog! He came running in and he scared me so I slipped and knife cut me. Ohmygod! I need stitches! Now!"

The fifty something year old woman looked at her long, blinked and then said, "Alright. Let me page Doctor Sheppard. Maureen? Take her to a spare room?"

It took every ounce of her not to grin like a fool.

"Right this way…Kate." Maureen, she guessed, said to her. And Kate followed her, clutching the damp with blood cloth to an empty room.

_Kate knew the time on the island was slowly ticking to its end. She knew she wasn't going to see Jack, Hurley, Charlie, Claire or Sun ever again. She was going to miss them all in her prison cell. Kate didn't want to think about it._

_She wanted to run, she had a four-hour advantage at least. But both her and who ever was going to be after her had the disadvantage of getting caught by them. The others. They were still unknown after nearly two years. Kate didn't know what could be worst. Twenty-five years of jail time (at least) or brutal bashings and smashings from them._

_She was lost in thought. She didn't even hear Jack call her name out. She felt her shoulder being taken a hold off and Kate with her quick reactions grabbed the arm and twisted it. _

"_Oh, shit! Jack! I'm so sorry." She let go quickly when she saw the familiar chin stubble, brown hair and tattoos. _

"_It's alright. We're all a bit jumpy since Walt and Shannon. Don't worry about it." _

_She spent the next five minutes apologizing. She could feel how out of character it felt. But she really was sorry. Finally she stopped when Jack told her playfully to shut up. She quickly forgot about the ship and the rescue, although it was in the back of her mind, slowly nagging her to memorize this moments because she's screwed in a few hours. _

_And thanks to that nagging little thought of rescue bugging her slowly, she kept forcing herself to think of challenging topics that would bring both her and Jack into a conversation nearly impossible to drop. Politics seemed key. _

_But finally, Jack realized how high the sun was. It was kind of Kate's fault too. She made him laugh (curse her sense of humour) and when Jack laughs, really laughs, he throws his head back, forcing him to look up at the sky and the sun. _

"_I'm just going to drop these off at the caves. I'll be right back." Jack said and he gave her a small smile. She tried to smile back but just ended up looking down at the finely crafted dirt path. _

"_Kate…?" _

_"God, this is my chance. No one is watching me. No one is here with me. I can run. I could run. I really could." She thought._

"_Kate? Come here…"_

_"What do I do?"_

_She walked slowly to Jack's voice, as if somehow walking in slow-mo would help her process what to do faster. "Yeah?" She called. _

"_Oh my god."  
_

"Ms. Austin?" Maureen snapped Kate out of her trance, "Dr. Sheppard will be here in 5 minutes. Just keep your cut under pressure, okay hun?"

"Do you think he could speed it up a smidge? I'm feeling just a bit…faint." Kate just barely got that out without laughing. This wasn't her.

"Yes. Of course." And Maureen whipped open the door made of up material and left.

Kate quickly went over to the sink and cleaned her cloth. She quickly made sure the cut was okay, just to make sure it really wasn't anything big, and sat down waiting patiently and thinking of what she could possibly say to the man she missed so much.  
_  
The sprint back to the beach was marathon worthy and before she realized what she was doing, she was on the beach hearing joyful screams and seeing dances of happiness._

_She glanced over a Jack. His face had pure confusion. He obviously wasn't looking at the big picture. The ocean. "What the hell…" he started. But Kate interrupted. _

"_Jack…" She pointed, "look…" _

_Something flickered in his eyes when he finally registered that a ship was here, but it quickly went away._

"_Kate…"_

_Kate quickly made the choice then and there. She wasn't going to run. It was pointless to run. She would sooner get parole and get out of jail then actually survive in that jungle on her own. "I'm not going to run, Jack." _

_Kate turned from him quickly. She didn't want him to see the few tears forming. She could hear him calling her name but she was Kate. She was strong. She didn't cry. She never cried over something like getting caught._

_Then something pulled her gently but still firmly. Then she was kissing him. It wasn't the first time, but it was a different kiss, once she registered it. It was gentle but passionate all at once and it ended much too soon. Damn Sawyer and Charlie's catcalls and the obvious stares. _

_Then it was a blur. Kate's rights were read to her. She was loaded on to a boat, put in a separate room than anyone else. Somehow she got to the dock where the piercing photographer's cameras blinded her from any memory of her walk of shame. _

"Hi, I'm Doctor Jack Sheppard, what seems to…" He stopped and Kate smiled the smile she has been saving up all day.

"Kate…"

"Hey, Jack."

"This was too casual sounding. This should be more…more something. A hug. That'll make it more…something." Kate thought to herself.

She stared at him for a while. He looked a bit tired, but still very awake (he would have to be with his job). He smelt of fresh air, of trees. He still had that chin stubble, she's thinking that the lack of shaving wasn't just because of their situation of the island, but because he likes it like that. She realizes finally that she hasn't spoken, but Jack beats her to it.

"What…how?" He sounded so confused.

"Shh, it's okay. Look, we'll figure it out later. Right now I'm just so glad that I found you. When's your shift done?"

"About four?"

"Okay. I'll be back around then." I smiled and headed out the shower curtain door.

"Wait, Kate. What about your cut?" His natural side, his doctor side, spoke up.

She grinned still pretty proud of her idiotic plan that worked, "Oh this thing? It's fine. Not even worth looking at."

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I know this is basically getting us no where not even a hint of whether Kate is running away or not. I'm so cruel, I know but I really wanted to update because of the fabulous reviews I've been getting. I'm also been dying to post this chapter AFTER tomorrow's episode and write it based on the things that will happen but I just wanted to post this. Anyways, as always REVIEWS PLEASE!  
xo  



	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Still Not Found  
**Characters &Pairings:** Jack/Kate, mentioning of everyone still living as of 2.09  
**Spoilers:** A small spoiler from "The Hunting Party" (coming up January 18, or something like that.) but mostly stuff from "What Kate Did"   
**Disclaimer:** Pointless to say, but I don't own any of this. Belongs to JJ, Carlton and everyone else at ABC  
**Announcement:** Sorry for late return. I wrote this while on Christmas break with family. I came back home and just edited this quickly before trying to post it, but for some reason it was being real slow so I left it be. Anyways, I was busy after Christmas and decided today that I have to post because it's been way to long.  
All mistakes are mine! I have no idea how courts in the states (let alone Canada, really) work so if some scenes seem unrealistic, let me know! As always, reviews are love!

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Kate sat in the waiting room. It was three thirty. She came early in hopes of Jack's shift being finished off quickly, but he was nowhere in sight. She wore her Red Sox baseball cap down low, covering her freckles, her hair that was in a pony tail…anything that is a memorable feature. The same nurse was on shift at the reception desk and she didn't want to make things more difficult than they are. People are crazy; they might call her stalker, bomb threat, any sort of other criminal title that she hasn't (or possibly has) received. 

She reached over to the very twenty first century looking coffee table beside her. It had three stalks of magazines. She flipped through them slowly, taking her time, knowing she had plenty to burn before Jack came out. She hit an old issue of Time Magazine after flipping through Seventeen and OK! Magazine aimlessly. The cover of Time caught her eye. It was a picture of Locke, Michael, Walt, and two other women. Kate thought really hard to remember the last two names, 'Jane and… Lauren? Laura? Lara? Something like that.' Kate thought. Inside was a ten page article about Oceanic Flight 815, the crash, the survivors, the island itself, and a special feature "Where Are They Now?"

Kate quickly scanned for names she knew, for her own name. They mentioned Hurley ("Hugo 'Hurley' Reyes resides currently with his family in California. He is enjoying the wealth from his lotto winnings and involves a lot with the youth of the city he lives in. He visits hospitals, shelters…"), Charlie and Claire, (Pace, the bass player for the has-been band 'Drive Shaft', lives in England with his island found love, Claire Littleton and son Aaron…"), and Sawyer ("Con man, James 'Sawyer' Ford, was not located but friends say he is healthy and enjoying his free life…"). Others she knew weren't mentioned; Time states that they couldn't get a hold of them.

Kate sighed. It was only quarter to four. She still had time to waste. But the thought that it was only fifteen minutes away made her nervous. Jack had questions, it was obvious that he did; he knew about her past. She would have to answer them, but she didn't know how. Just like she didn't know how to answer Jack when she ran off after that kiss in the jungle. Kate still doesn't know why.

_Jack walked over, "Hey." _

"_Uhm, hey." Kate replied. Awkwardness flooded over her but she tried to shake it off. "What's up?"_

"_Not a lot…" Jack trailed off, "Look, Locke, Sawyer, maybe Jin, and I are going to help Michael find Walt. Jin and Locke are just getting things set up and I just wanted to, you know, let you know. If anything happens that might need medical help, find Libby. And if it's really bad, we'll be up in the western part of the island today."_

_Kate looked up, "Okay. Well, be careful. We don't know…" _

"_I know," Jack smiled, "and thanks." _

_Silence came and Kate smiled to herself, just to do something; she had to think of something to say. _

"_Well, I should go…" Jack got up and with one last look, started to head off. _

_Kate jumped up, "Hey, Jack? I, uh, just want to say I'm sorry. For making things…different. I didn't want to -"_

"_But you did, Kate." Jack interrupted, "And are you sorry about running off or just everything…?"_

_Kate stared down at her shoes, "Running's what I do, Jack."_

_He gave her a sympathetic hand on the shoulder and walked away._

"Hey, Kate."

"Jack! You're off early!" Kate glanced at her watch. 'Did ten minutes really go by so fast?' She wondered.

"Five minutes early." Jack shrugged, "Okay, so, where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere is fine. Really. I just don't have a car. Or a ride of any sort really. I was hoping you had…"

Jack laughed, "Yeah, we can use my car."

Kate smiled back, "Alright! Great. Let's go…wherever." She picked up her bag and followed behind him.

Minutes later they were in his car driving down the highway. The silence was awkward and both wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind.

"How've you been? I know it sounds stupid to ask, but really, are you healthy? Do you have enough money? Are you living all right? Are you on the run, Kate?" Jack eventually asked, slowly asking question after question.

"I'm good, Jack. I'm pretty sure I'm healthy. I haven't been sick for a while. I'm eating all right too. I have money. I'm living in an apartment I'm renting in Washington." Kate slowly answered each question not really wanting to answer the last one because she didn't know what to answer. "Hey, Jack. Stop at this place." Kate pointed to a small diner called Al's. 'How cliché.' Kate thought to herself. "I heard pancakes are fantastic here."

Jack smiled and said nothing, just turned and parked.

When they walked inside an orange haired young girl greeted them, "Welcome to Al's! Table for two?" Before answering, she led the to a small booth near the mini bar. "Here are your menus…and would you like anything to drink?" She asked. Her cheerfulness surprisingly not so fake feeling.

"I'm fine," Jack said, looking over at Kate. She dodged the running question. Quiet well actually.

"Water, thanks." Kate glanced back at Jack and the young girl walked off.

"Now it's time for me to give you the third degree, are you doing okay, Jack?" Kate asked, her face serious.

"I'm fine, doing alright. Things are trying to feel as normal as possible, you know?" Kate nodded and he went on, Jack would ask her later on, "I'm working, living in an apartment and getting a lot of calls from journalists."

They talked some more, asking whatever popped into their heads to avoid that awkward bubble. When they saw the waitress come back, they ordered quickly, picking small dishes because both knew they would be talking more than eating.

Once the two plates of salads arrived, Jack finally got the nerve to ask, "Kate, are you running? Honestly, are you?"

Kate chewed and swallowed her food, obviously thinking her answer, "Running from what, Jack?"

He sighed. "The law?"

Kate looked him in the eye, "The law? No."

_Before the boat docked, she was aloud to see everyone else. She smiled, saying she'll try to keep in touch as she stuffed pieces of paper with numbers of family or friends they would be staying at. Hurley was different though._

"_I'm going to miss you, Hurley." _

"_Me too. Look, dude, I know you're in some trouble with the law and stuff and I'm willing to help you with a lawyer and stuff like that. Anything to get you out of this you know? 'Cause dude, jail time is so the last thing anyone deserves after being stuck on Craphole Island." _

"_That's sweet, Hurley. But I don't think it's necessary, I mean a lawyer costs a lot…"_

"_Don't worry about it. Seriously." Hurley smiled. "Plus, I owe you. All them golf challenges and stuff."_

_Three days later, in L.A., she was held in custody and Hurley's lawyer came. Her case was set up to be reviewed three weeks later. _

_The lawyer was good. He persuaded the judge to cut the original twenty years to being set free and under parole. She had a curfew, she wasn't aloud to leave America, firearms and alcohol were forbidden and she had to do volunteer hours. _

_Kate was lucky. She knew it. She quickly finished off her 200 hours for volunteering and checked in on her dad and a few random family members. Then she was off. The first thing she did was visit Hurley down in California. He wasn't kidding when there was nothing to worry about, it was obvious he was loaded and Kate was even more grateful for him to be so kind to her. After staying for the day, she went off to find Jack. _

Kate explained what happened with Hurley and the lawyer and everything. "I'm lucky, Jack, I'm so lucky. But a part of me just likes the new town feeling. It's hard to explain…"

"It's alright, Kate. Really. You don't have to explain that. It's good to know that you're okay." Jack answered. With that they continued to eat finish off their petit dinner.

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How was it? Reviews are fantastic:)  



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